1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to devices used in cleaning. More particularly, to dusting or sweeping devices that use magnetism to assist in collecting dust or dirt that is susceptible to a magnetic field.
2. Description of Related Art
A number of devices have been used over the centuries to remove unwanted dust and dirt particles from surfaces both inside and out. Brooms were developed long ago and were generally composed of a bundle of firm sticks or fibers bound together onto a long handle for brushing or sweeping dirt and other unwanted items from a surface. Unfortunately, not all items that impact the floor could be swept or brushed away.
Mops were designed to provide soap and water or a cleaning solution to the floor for removing organic materials. Mops have been used over the past few centuries and are generally composed of absorbent rope or twine bundled together and affixed to a long handle. While the mop has been effective in removing unwanted organic matter from floor the surface must be allowed to dry prior to use to prevent potential injury from slipping and/or falling.
Recent innovations in cleaning devices have lead to the development of the dust mop such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,815,878 and 6,305,046. The dust mop was designed to clean smooth surfaces such as tile and wood floors. They have also been adapted for use on furniture, such as tables, cabinets, or counters as handheld dusters. The dust mop usually has a handle attached to a cleaning head with a flat surface on which a cleaning sheet or cloth is secured. This construction has the advantage of performing the functions of both a broom and a mop simultaneously. The cleaning sheet acts like a broom pushing and aggregating dirt and dust as it is drawn over a surface. The chemicals provided on the cleaning sheet dissolve and remove unwanted organic matter from the surface as the head is passed over the affected area. Unfortunately, these dust mops are limited on the volume and size of the particles they are able to capture and remove from a surface. The size limitations are generally a factor of the cleaning sheet weave and the static charge provided on the sheet surface. Particles not captures by the cleaning sheet may be too heavy to be removed from the surface or simply too large.
Consequently, there is a need for a dust mop that functions to remove dust and dirt from a surface like a broom, is able to dissolve or remove organic matter from a surface like a mop and has the ability to remove heavy and/or larger particles from a surface that other commercially available mops are unable to remove.